Reference data tool

ABSTRACT

A reference data tool helps meet the technical challenges associated with providing important data to an application that needs the data. The tool causes execution of custom reports on an external data platform that extract the data needed by the application from the external data platform. The tool creates a custom data store for the data in a location accessible to the application. After the tool receives the extracted data, the tool automatically writes the data into the proper location in the custom data store.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority to India non-provisional applicationserial number 201641031345, filed Sep. 14, 2016, entitled Reference DataTool, which is entirely incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to data architectures, and to a data tool thatprovides access to data that applications need to reference during theirexecution.

BACKGROUND

Computer systems today possess unprecedented levels of processing power,memory, volume storage, and other resources, not only in locallyimplemented hardware, but also in remotely implemented systems, e.g., incloud hosted systems. Interconnected networks of physical and virtualcomputer systems are deployed in almost every conceivable scenarioworldwide and execute applications that carry out an immense varietytasks ranging from the mundane to the mission critical. Improvements indata architectures will enhance the ability of these applications toaccess and operate on the data they need to perform their functions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a network architecture in which application extensionsexecute locally with access to reference data provided by an referencedata tool running in a reference data platform.

FIG. 2 shows one example implementation of the reference data platform.

FIG. 3 shows another example implementation of the reference dataplatform.

FIG. 4 shows logic for providing reference data to local applicationsvia a reference data tool.

FIG. 5 shows an example reference web service call.

FIG. 6 shows an example host web service call.

FIG. 7 shows a report configuration interface.

FIG. 8 shows a custom object registration interface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A reference data tool (“RDT”) helps meet the technical challengesassociated with providing important data to an application that needsthe data. The tool causes execution of custom reports on an externaldata platform that extracts the data needed by the application from theexternal data platform. The tool creates a custom data store for thedata in a location accessible to the application. After the toolreceives the extracted data, the tool automatically writes the data intothe proper location in the custom data store. The external data platformis generally difficult or impossible for the application to reachdirectly, and the tool provides a data flow intermediary thatfacilitates access to the data that the application needs.

The Figures discussed below provide example contexts, implementations,and features for the technical solutions in the RDT. The Figures showspecific examples out of many possible different implementations andimplementation contexts. In that respect, the technical solutions arenot limited in their application to the architectures and systems shownin any of the Figures discussed below, but are applicable to many othersystem implementations, architectures, user interfaces, features, andconnectivity.

FIG. 1 shows a network architecture 100 in which applications andapplication extensions execute locally with access to reference dataprovided by a reference data tool. In more detail, a reference dataplatform 102 connects to a host data platform 104 through one or morenetworks 106. The host data platform 104 may be a cloud-based dataplatform hosted in a data center 108 operated by a cloud provider 110,for instance, to provide software as a service (SaaS). To that end, thehost data platform 104 may include a wide range of networkinginfrastructure 112 that hosts, executes, and manages any number ofvirtual machines 114 for any number of enterprise subscribers. Thevirtual machines 114, in turn, execute virtualized applications thatread, write, and modify reference data 116 during normal operation ofthe applications. As just a few examples, the applications may beenterprise resource management (ERP) applications, financialsapplications, human resources (HR) applications, risk management (RM)applications, project management (PM) applications, or customerexperience (CX) applications. The host data platform 104 may take manyother forms, however, including other types of cloud basedimplementations and local or private on-premises installations (e.g., atany given enterprise office location worldwide) in which theapplications and reference data 116 are not virtualized.

The reference data platform 102 may offer platform as a service (PaaS)that supports the execution of applications and application extensions118 (“local applications 118”) in an application environment 120. Theapplication environment 120 may include, e.g., a hardware executionplatform, operating system, memory and disk space resources. The localapplications 118 execute remotely from the host data platform 104. Theexecution may be considered remote in one sense in that the localapplications 118 do not execute within the same execution environment asthe applications running on the host data platform 104. The executionmay be considered remote in another sense in that the host data platform104 does not provide native application programming interfaces (APIs) orother communication channels through which the local applications 118may access the reference data 116. That is, the local applications 118may not have direct access to the reference data 116. In many instances,the local applications 118 extend the functionality of the applicationsrunning in the host data platform 104 and need to access the referencedata 116 to accomplish their tasks.

The reference data platform 102 facilitates access by the localapplications 118 to the reference data 116. To that end, the referencedata platform 102 implements a reference data tool 122. As will bedescribed in detail below, the RDT 122 efficiently captures snapshots ofthe reference data 116 and replicates reference data elements 124 fromthe reference data 116 in custom tables 126. The reference data elements124 may be data fields, rows, records, tables, or any other data storedin the reference data 116.

The custom tables 126 are directly available to the local applications118, e.g., via a database management system (DBMS) connection, API, orWeb service interface. As a result, the local applications 118 may carryout their processing even though the host data platform 104 does notprovide communication channels through which the local applications 118can access the reference data 116 natively stored in the host dataplatform 104.

FIG. 2 shows one example implementation 200 of the reference dataplatform 102. The system architecture may vary widely, and may be basedon, for instance, an Intel Xeon processor E7-8800/4800 v3 platform forreal-time processing of volume data workloads. The exampleimplementation 200 includes communication interfaces 202, controlcircuitry 204, and input/output (I/O) interfaces 206. The exampleimplementation 200 also includes display circuitry 208 that generatesmachine interfaces 210 locally or for remote display, e.g., in a webbrowser running on a local or remote operator machine 260. The machineinterfaces 210 and the I/O interfaces 206 may include GUIs, touchsensitive displays, voice or facial recognition inputs, buttons,switches, speakers and other user interface elements.

The communication interfaces 202 may include wireless transmitters andreceivers (“transceivers”) 212 and any antennas 214 used by the transmitand receive circuitry of the transceivers 212. The transceivers 212 andantennas 214 may support WiFi network communications, for instance,under any version of IEEE 802.11, e.g., 802.11n or 802.11ac. Thecommunication interfaces 202 may also include physical transceivers 216.The physical transceivers 216 provide physical layer interfaces for anyof a wide range of communication protocols, such as any type ofEthernet, data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS),digital subscriber line (DSL), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), orother protocol.

The control circuitry 204 may include hardware, software, firmware, orother circuitry in any combination. The control circuitry 204 may beimplemented, for example, with one or more systems on a chip (SoC),application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), microprocessors,discrete analog and digital circuits, and other circuitry. The controlcircuitry 204 is part of the implementation of any desired functionalityin the reference data platform 102. As just one example, the controlcircuitry 204 may include one or more instruction processors 218 andmemories 220. The memory 220 stores, for example, control instructions222 and an operating system 224. The processor 218 executes the controlinstructions 222 and the operating system 224 to carry out any desiredfunctionality for reference data platform 102, according to theconfiguration and control parameters 226.

The control instructions 222 may include host data request instructions228, custom table update instructions 230, machine interface generationinstructions 232, and a scheduler 234. The control parameters 226provide and specify configuration and operating options for the controlinstructions 222, operating system 224, and other functionality of thereference data platform 102. As examples, the control parameters 226 mayinclude custom table configurations 235, host data platform identifiers236, and scheduling entries 238, all of which may differ on a per-hostdata platform application basis.

The implementation 200 also a data architecture 240. The dataarchitecture 240 defines storage mechanisms for data elements obtainedfrom the host data platform 104. The storage mechanisms may include anynumber of custom tables for reference data, e.g., the custom tables 242and 244. In one implementation, a DBMS maintains and controls the customtables.

With regard again to the control parameters 226, examples of customtable configurations include: name, locations, and access permissions ofthe custom tables; associations of the custom table that link the customtables to any particular local application 118; and custom table setupspecifications of column or field name, column order, field type, andfield length and other characteristics. Examples of host data platformidentifiers 236 include uniform resource indicators (URIs) and accesscredentials. Examples of scheduling entries 238 include time, date, andfrequency specifiers for retrieving the reference data elements 124 fromthe host data platform 104, e.g., once per week at 4 am starting 1 Sep.2016, in any format accepted by the scheduler 234.

FIG. 3 shows another example implementation 300 of the reference dataplatform 102. FIG. 3 is discussed in conjunction with FIG. 4, whichshows logic 400 that the scheduler 234, RDT 122, and host data platform104 may implement and execute to provide reference data to localapplications 118. The scheduler 234 reads its scheduling entries 238(402) and determines when to invoke the RDT 122 (404) responsive to thescheduling entries 238.

In one implementation, the reference data platform 102 defines areference tool interface 302 for communications with the RDT 122. Thereference tool interface 302 may be, for instance, a Web serviceinterface through which the scheduler 234 invokes the RDT 122. To thatend, the scheduler 234 creates and issues reference Web service calls304 (406). In other implementations, the reference tool interface 302may be a remote procedure call, subroutine call, or other functionexecution mechanism.

The RDT 122 reads the table configuration 235 (408) and the host dataplatform identifiers 236 (410). The RDT 122 thereby determines where andhow to connect to the host data platform 104. The table configuration235 informs the RDT 122 as to what columns and in what order the dataelements will be returned from the host data platform 104.

To obtain the data elements for any given local application 118, the RDT122 may access a data report table 306. The data report table 306maintains identifiers of pre-defined data reports, e.g., the data reportidentifiers 308 and 310. The pre-defined data reports are created andsaved on the host data platform 104, and control what data elements willbe returned and in what order from the host data platform 104. The datareports may also specify, e.g., the filename of a file in which the dataelements are returned (e.g., in comma separated value (CSV) form) fromthe host data platform 104 after it executes the data report.

In one implementation, the reference data platform 102 defines a hostdata platform interface 312 for communications with the host dataplatform 104. The host data platform interface 312 may be, for instance,a Web service interface. In other implementations, the data platforminterface 312 may be a remote procedure call, subroutine call, or otherfunction execution mechanism.

Through the host data platform interface 312, the RDT 122 requests thehost data platform 104 to execute a data report and return data elementsto the RDT 122. In that regard, the RDT 122 determines which data reportto run (412), and creates and issues a host Web service call 314 thatspecifies the data report (414). The reference Web service call 304 fromthe scheduler 234 may specify the data report, or may specify the localapplication 118 which is associated to a data report in the data reporttable 306.

The RDT 122 may also include a timestamp in the host Web service call314, e.g., a timestamp defining the time of last update to the customtable at issue. Any of the pre-defined data reports may be written to beresponsive to the timestamp by determining data changes in the dataelements in the host data platform 104 after the timestamp, andreturning only the changes. The RDT 122 may then incrementally updatethe custom data table with the new data elements. This reduces bandwidthconsumed and processing time spent keeping the custom tables up to date.

The host data platform 104 receives the host Web service call 314, andexecutes the specified data report (416). The data report queries thehost reference data 116 and obtains the responsive data elements. Thehost data platform 104 writes the responsive data elements to a datafile 316 (418), e.g., in CSV form, including a first row of columnidentifiers.

The host data platform 104 returns the data file 316 to the RDT 122(420). In turn, the RDT 122 accesses the data file 316 (422) and writesthe data elements in the data file into the corresponding columns in thecustom table (424). The reference data platform 102 provides access tothe custom data tables to the local applications 118 (426). As oneexample, the reference data platform 102 may expose the custom datatables over a representational state transfer (REST) service or Webservice so that any local application 118 can query that table. Asanother example, the custom tables may be part of the applicationarchitecture within a local application 118, so that the localapplication 118 has direct access to the custom table. A localapplication may include any application for which data is obtained fromthe host data platform 104. For example, a local application may includean application running in whole or in part on a mobile device in datacommunication with the reference data platform 102, a distributedapplication running on cloud-based hardware in data communication withthe reference data platform, an application accessing the custom datatables over the REST service or Web service, or other application incommunication with the reference data platform 102.

FIG. 5 shows an example reference Web service call 500 to the RDT 122.As noted above, the RDT 122 may expose a Web service and use it toreceive input parameters from the scheduler 234 via the reference Webservice calls 304, responsively perform the logic described above, andmake the host Web service calls 314. FIG. 5 shows an example end pointURL 502 for the RDT 122, the Web service payload 504, and the Webservice parameters 506. Table 1, below, explains the Web serviceparameters for the reference Web service calls.

TABLE 1 Web Service Parameters for Host Web Service Calls ParameterExplanation reportFormat File Format in which to extract the reportoutput. Example csv, pdf. reportAbsolutePath Absolute path of the customreport in the host data platform. Indicates which custom report to run.reportOutputFile Full path of the output file where extracted data willbe stored. uploadTableRequired “Y” indicates custom table in thereference data platform that needs to be uploaded with the extractedrecords. “N” or blank value indicates only data extraction is intended,uploading custom table is not required. completeRefresh “Y” indicatesfull data extraction is required, rather than an incremental update.

FIG. 6 shows an example host web service call 600 to the host dataplatform 104. As noted above, the host data platform 104 may expose aWeb service and use it to receive input parameters from the RDT 122 viathe host Web service calls 314, responsively perform the logic describedabove, and return reference data to the RDT 122. FIG. 5 shows an exampleend point URL 602 for a server in the host data platform 104, the Webservice payload 604, and the Web service parameters. Table 2, below,explains the Web service parameters for the host Web service calls.

TABLE 2 Web Service Parameters for Host Web Service Calls ParameterExplanation attributeFormat File Format in which to extract the reportoutput. Examples include. csv, and. pdf. parameterNameValues Reportparameter name and value pair. The RDT creates a report parameter withthe Date, and passes the current date from the RDT, which filters thereport data based on that date. This ensures latest data is extractedout of host data platform for an incremental update. reportAbsolutePathAbsolute path of the custom report in the host data platform. Indicateswhich custom report to run.

FIG. 7 shows a report configuration interface 700 that the RDT 122 mayimplement, e.g., as one of the machine interfaces 210. The reportconfiguration interface 700 facilitates specifying data reports and theserver on which they run. For example, the Report field 702 provides aname for the data report, e.g., “H3G_TL001_JE_CATEGORIES_RPT”. Thelocation field 704 provides a path to the data report, e.g.,“/Custom/H3G PaaS PoC/H3G_TL001_JE_CATEGORIES_RPT.xdo”.

FIG. 8 shows a custom object registration interface 800 that the RDT 122may implement, e.g., as one of the machine interfaces 210. The customobject registration interface 800 facilitates defining and identifyingcustom tables for reference data. In the example of FIG. 8, the customtable field 802 provides a custom table name, the custom table userinterface name field 804 provides an identifier of the user interface togenerate when reviewing the data in the custom table, and thedescription field 808 provides a description of the custom table.

Expressed another way, the RDT 122 runs in a reference data platform102. The RDT 122 includes machine interface circuitry (e.g., thecommunication interfaces 202) that receives a host identifier of a hostdata platform external to the reference data platform and a data tableidentifier for a local data table. The RDT 122 access a local databasewithin the reference data platform 102. The local database defines alocal data table, e.g., any of the custom tables described above.

Reference data control circuitry (e.g., the control circuitry 204)within the reference data platform 102 establishes a data connectionbetween the reference data platform 102 and the host data platform 104.The reference data control circuitry issues a request over the dataconnection to the host data platform 104 for data elements stored in thehost data platform 104, reproduces the data elements in the host dataplatform in the local data table, and provides access to the local datatable for local application 118 that refers to the data elements duringexecution.

The reference data control circuitry may be further configured toreceive an identification of the data elements prior to establishing thedata connection and determine a data query against the host dataplatform that will return the data elements to the reference dataplatform. The data query may be a data report configured for executionby the host data platform to output the data elements, and the referencedata control circuitry may be further configured to instantiate, save,or configure the data report on the host data platform prior toestablishing the data connection.

The request may be an execution request that the host data platform 104execute the data report. The request may be in the form of a Web servicecall to the host data platform 104, including a report identifiercorresponding to the data report that was created on the host dataplatform prior to establishing the data connection. The Web service callmay further include a timestamp. In that regard, any data report may beconfigured to be responsive to the timestamp by determining data changesin the data elements in the host data platform after the timestamp. Thereference data control circuitry may then incrementally update the localdata table with the data changes, rather than, e.g., completelyrecreating all of the data on each request.

The reference data platform 102 may request scheduling circuitry (e.g.,the scheduler 234) to add scheduling entries 238 to the requestscheduler. The request scheduling circuitry may then initiate obtainingthe reference data elements 124 by issuing the requests when specifiedby the scheduling entries. As noted above, the scheduling circuitry mayinvoke the reference tool interface 302, which in turn causes the RDT122 to invoke the host data platform interface 312.

Described yet another way, in a reference data platform 102, machineinterface circuitry is configured to receive a host identifier of a hostdata platform external to the reference data platform and a data tableidentifier for a local data table. A local database includes the localdata table and is configured to store data elements obtained from thehost data platform. The reference data platform 102 includes requestscheduling circuitry configured to add a pre-determined update schedulein the request scheduler for obtaining the data elements and issue anupdate request at a time determined by the pre-determined updateschedule. In addition, the reference data platform 102 includesreference data control circuitry configured to instantiate a data reporton the host data platform for communicating the data elements to thereference data platform, receive the update request from the schedulingcircuitry, establish a data connection between the reference dataplatform and the host data platform, issue a data request over the dataconnection to the host data platform for the data elements stored in thehost data platform, and update the local data table with the dataelements received from the host data platform.

Note that the reference data platform 102 may include communicationinterface circuitry configured to execute a host data platform Webservice call to the host data platform to issue the data request. Thehost data platform Web service call may include a report identifiercorresponding to the data report that was instantiated on the host dataplatform prior to establishing the data connection, and a timestamp forthe data report. The data report is configured to be responsive to thetimestamp by determining data changes in the data elements in the hostdata platform after the timestamp. The communication interface circuitryis also configured to execute a reference data platform Web service callto the reference data control circuitry to issue the update request,where the reference data platform Web service call initiates the updateto the data table when specified by the pre-determined update schedule.The reference data control circuitry incrementally updates the localdata table with the data changes.

The methods, devices, processing, circuitry, and logic described abovemay be implemented in many different ways and in many differentcombinations of hardware and software. For example, all or parts of theimplementations may be circuitry that includes an instruction processor,such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), microcontroller, or amicroprocessor; or as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC),Programmable Logic Device (PLD), or Field Programmable Gate Array(FPGA); or as circuitry that includes discrete logic or other circuitcomponents, including analog circuit components, digital circuitcomponents or both; or any combination thereof. The circuitry mayinclude discrete interconnected hardware components or may be combinedon a single integrated circuit die, distributed among multipleintegrated circuit dies, or implemented in a Multiple Chip Module (MCM)of multiple integrated circuit dies in a common package, as examples.

Accordingly, the circuitry may store or access instructions forexecution, or may implement its functionality in hardware alone. Theinstructions may be stored in a tangible storage medium that is otherthan a transitory signal, such as a flash memory, a Random Access Memory(RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Erasable Programmable Read OnlyMemory (EPROM); or on a magnetic or optical disc, such as a Compact DiscRead Only Memory (CDROM), Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or other magnetic oroptical disk; or in or on another machine-readable medium. A product,such as a computer program product, may include a storage medium andinstructions stored in or on the medium, and the instructions whenexecuted by the circuitry in a device may cause the device to implementany of the processing described above or illustrated in the drawings.

The implementations may be distributed. For instance, the circuitry mayinclude multiple distinct system components, such as multiple processorsand memories, and may span multiple distributed processing systems.Parameters, databases, and other data structures may be separatelystored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory ordatabase, may be logically and physically organized in many differentways, and may be implemented in many different ways. Exampleimplementations include linked lists, program variables, hash tables,arrays, records (e.g., database records), objects, and implicit storagemechanisms. Instructions may form parts (e.g., subroutines or other codesections) of a single program, may form multiple separate programs, maybe distributed across multiple memories and processors, and may beimplemented in many different ways. Example implementations includestand-alone programs, and as part of a library, such as a shared librarylike a Dynamic Link Library (DLL). The library, for example, may containshared data and one or more shared programs that include instructionsthat perform any of the processing described above or illustrated in thedrawings, when executed by the circuitry.

Various implementations have been specifically described. However, manyother implementations are also possible.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: in a reference dataplatform: machine interface circuitry configured to receive: a hostidentifier of a host data platform external to the reference dataplatform; and a data table identifier for a local data table; a localdatabase within the reference data platform, the local databasecomprising the local data table configured to store data elementsobtained from the host data platform; request scheduling circuitryconfigured to: create a pre-determined update schedule for the requestscheduling circuitry to respond to, for obtaining the data elements; andissue an update request at a time determined by the pre-determinedupdate schedule; and reference data control circuitry within thereference data platform, the reference data control circuitry configuredto: instantiate a data report on the host data platform forcommunicating the data elements to the reference data platform; generatea listing of the data report in a data report table; after generatingthe listing, receive the update request from the request schedulingcircuitry; determining a data query against the host data platform thatwill return the data elements to the reference data platform byspecifying, via a data report table, the data report for execution bythe host data platform responsive to the identification of the dataelements; establish a data connection between the reference dataplatform and the host data platform; issue a data request over the dataconnection to the host data platform for the data elements stored in thehost data platform; and update the local data table with the dataelements received from the host data platform.
 2. The system of claim 1,further comprising: communication interface circuitry configured to:execute a host data platform Web service call to the host data platformto issue the data request, where the host data platform Web service callcomprises: a report identifier corresponding to the data report that wasinstantiated on the host data platform prior to establishing the dataconnection; and a timestamp for the data report, the data reportconfigured to be responsive to the timestamp by determining data changesin the data elements in the host data platform after the timestamp; andexecute a reference data platform Web service call to the reference datacontrol circuitry to issue the update request, where the reference dataplatform Web service call initiates the update to the local data tablewhen specified by the pre-determined update schedule; and where: thereference data control circuitry is further configured to incrementallyupdate the local data table with the data changes.
 3. A methodcomprising: receiving, at a reference data platform, a host identifierof a host data platform external to the reference data platform;receiving a data table identifier for a local data table; instantiatinga local database within the reference data platform, the local databasecomprising the local data table; receiving an identification of dataelements stored in the host data platform; determining a data queryagainst the host data platform that will return the data elements to thereference data platform by specifying, via a data report table, apredefined data report for execution by the host data platformresponsive to the identification of the data elements; after receivingthe identification, establishing a data connection between the referencedata platform and the host data platform; issuing a request over thedata connection to the host data platform for the data elements;reproducing the data elements from the host data platform in the localdata table; and providing access to the local data table for anapplication that refers to the data elements during execution.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, further comprising: defining a reference dataplatform Web service for obtaining the data elements; executing arequest scheduler; adding a scheduling entry in the request schedulerfor obtaining the data elements; and issuing the request according tothe scheduling entry by invoking the reference data platform Webservice.
 5. The method of claim 3, where the data report table includesidentifiers for multiple data reports including the predefined datareport.
 6. The method of claim 5, where the multiple data reports arecreated and stored on the host data platform.
 7. The method of claim 3,where: issuing the request comprises: issuing an execution request thatthe host data platform execute the predefined data report.
 8. The methodof claim 7, where: issuing the request comprises: making a Web servicecall to the host data platform.
 9. The method of claim 8, where: the Webservice call comprises a report identifier corresponding to thepredefined data report that was created on the host data platform priorto establishing the data connection.
 10. The method of claim 9, where:the Web service call further comprises a timestamp; the predefined datareport is configured to be responsive to the timestamp by determiningdata changes in the data elements in the host data platform after thetimestamp; and the reference data platform incrementally updates thelocal data table with the data changes.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherethe data table is further configured to specify a local application forexecution of the data report in response to the Web service call.
 12. Asystem comprising: machine interface circuitry in a reference dataplatform configured to receive: a host identifier of a host dataplatform external to the reference data platform; and a data tableidentifier for a local data table; a local database within the referencedata platform, the local database comprising the local data table; andreference data control circuitry within the reference data platform, thereference data control circuitry configured to: receive anidentification of data elements stored in the host data platform;determine a data query against the host data platform that will returnthe data elements to the reference data platform by specifying, via adata report table, a predefined data report for execution by the hostdata platform responsive to the identification of the data elements;after receiving the identification, establish a data connection betweenthe reference data platform and the host data platform; issue a requestover the data connection to the host data platform for the dataelements; reproduce the data elements from the host data platform in thelocal data table; and provide access to the local data table for anapplication that refers to the data elements during execution.
 13. Thesystem of claim 12, where: the request comprises an execution requestthat the host data platform execute the predefined data report.
 14. Thesystem of claim 13, where: the request comprises a Web service call tothe host data platform.
 15. The system of claim 14, where: the Webservice call comprises a report identifier corresponding to thepredefined data report that was created on the host data platform priorto establishing the data connection.
 16. The system of claim 15, where:the Web service call further comprises a timestamp; the predefined datareport is configured to be responsive to the timestamp by determiningdata changes in the data elements in the host data platform after thetimestamp; and the reference data control circuitry is furtherconfigured to incrementally update the local data table with the datachanges.
 17. The system of claim 14, where the data table is furtherconfigured to specify a local application for execution of the datareport in response to the Web service call.
 18. The system of claim 12,further comprising: a reference data platform Web service for obtainingthe data elements; request scheduling circuitry configured to: add ascheduling entry to read by the request scheduling circuitry forobtaining the data elements; and issue the request according to thescheduling entry by invoking the reference data platform Web service.19. The system of claim 12, where the data report table includesidentifiers for multiple data reports including the predefined datareport.
 20. The system of claim 19, where the reference data controlcircuitry is configured to create and store the multiple data reports onthe host data platform.